Sun Journal to increase size of its pages

The Sun Journal will switch to a larger paper format on May 1, ending nearly a five-year run as a modified tabloid.

Sun Journal Staff

The Sun Journal will switch to a larger paper format on May 1, ending nearly a five-year run as a modified tabloid.

The switch will increase the page length from 15 inches to 22-3/4 inches. The pages will also be slightly wider.

Many readers and advertisers criticized the smaller tabloid format when it was introduced in 2010. Many of the complaints concerned a lack of sectioning — in its current tabloid format, pages run continuously in a single section. With the return to the traditional size, known in the industry as broadsheet, the Sun Journal once again will be divided into sections, with separate sections focusing on different content, such as sports and classifieds.

With the larger format will come a new design, including layout and fonts. The intent is to make the newspaper more accessible and easier to read, Publisher Vernon DeBolt said in making the announcement on Thursday.

Newspaper staff have met with people in the community for nearly a year to discuss a possible change back to broadsheet. Advertisers said a bigger page would give them a better opportunity to showcase their products and services, while readers were as concerned about sectioning as they were page size.

A return to broadsheet also will resolve an overlap of back pages that many readers found annoying.

In focus groups held over the past nine months, participants felt the newspaper was less organized in the compact format.

The Sun Journal also has held meetings with readers to receive their feedback on some of the design and typography changes that are planned.

One approach that will not change will be an emphasis on local news, said Sun Journal Editor Randy Foster.

“Local news is our franchise,” Foster said. “There isn’t a daily newspaper in the world that cares more about our area than the Sun Journal, and covering local news is what we do best.”

Regular features in the Sun Journal, including comics, are not changing, although the larger format will allow the paper to add content and features.

Those details are still being ironed out as the May 1 launch approaches.

The project ties in with other improvements including higher quality newsprint, better print quality, and a higher level of Associated Press content.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Advertising

News

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
New Bern Sun Journal ~ 3200 Wellons Blvd., New Bern, NC 28562 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service